In my recent U.S. Pat. No. 4,230,131, titled Self-Extinguishing Cigarettes, I discussed the rationale' for the need that lit cigarettes have a limited, controlled free-burning time. The time period of 1 to 3 minutes selected for self-extinguishment was predicated on a condition believed acceptable to the smoker without however sacrificing the objective of reducing the probability of fires caused by smoldering cigarettes inadvertently dropped onto combustible materials such as bedding and overstuffed furniture. In this invention, I disclose the use of an additive system other than those of boric acid, benzenephosphonic acid and the aqueous reaction product between 2-moles of benzenephosphonic acid and 1- mol of melamine noted in the referenced patent, and more specifically the application of certain chlorine-containing copolymer latexes to the cigarette's paper wrapper. The resultant coatings have the characteristics of flexibility, water-resistance, and storage-stability, so that the paper subsequent to be used to enclose the tobacco charge or smoking medium can be pre-treated if desired to the extent within the limits specified; pretreatment in contrast to post-treatment avoids paper staining by aqueous mixtures of flame-retardants while only minimally interrupting the normal cigarette production process.